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Xamtanga (also Agawinya, Khamtanga, Simt'anga, Xamir, Xamta) is a Central Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia by the Xamir people.

Phonology

Vowels

The central vowels /ɨ ə a/ have fronted and backed allophones, depending on the adjacent consonant(s).

Consonants

• /h/ is found only word-initial in loanwords, and may be glottal [h] or pharyngeal [ħ].
• /t/ is alveolar before the vowel /i/, dental otherwise.
• /q/ can be ejective [qʼ], and in some cases the ejectives appear to be in free variation with the voiceless plosives.

Phonological processes

Gemination

In positions other than word-initial, Xamtanga contrasts geminate and non-geminate consonants. With most consonants, the difference between a geminate and a non-geminate is simply one of length, but the cases of /b t q/ are more complex. When not word-initial, non-geminate /b/ is realized as a bilabial [β] or labiodental fricative [v], and /t/ and /q/ are realized as affricates: . Their geminate equivalents may be realized as prolonged , or can simply be short .

In word-initial position, geminate consonants do not occur, and /b t q/ are realized as plosives.

Notes

1. ^ Xamtanga at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)

Bibliography

• Appleyard, D. L. (1987). "A Grammatical Sketch of Khamtanga—I". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 50 (2): 241–266. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00049028. S2CID 123007452.
• Appleyard, D. L. (1987). "A Grammatical Sketch of Khamtanga—II". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 50 (3): 470–507. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00039471. S2CID 246637332.
• Appleyard, David L. (1988). "A Definite Article in Xamtanga". African Languages and Cultures. 1 (1): 15–24. doi:10.1080/09544168808717677.
• Appleyard, David L. (2006). A Comparative Dictionary of the Agaw Languages. Kuschitische Sprachstudien – Cushitic Language Studies. Vol. 24. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. ISBN 978-3-89645-481-2.
• Darmon, Chloé (2010). "L'agäw xamtanga: une langue couchitique en contact avec l'amharique". Pount. Cahiers d'études: Corne de l'Afrique - Arabie du Sud. 4: 169–195.

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